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Belowground niche partitioning is maintained under extreme drought.

Sophie E Weides1,2, Tomáš Hájek3,4, Pierre Liancourt1,3,5

  • 1Plant Ecology Group, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.

Ecology
|October 28, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Belowground niche partitioning helps species coexist. Even under extreme drought, plants maintain different water uptake depths, stabilizing diversity and mitigating climate change impacts.

Keywords:
belowground niche partitioningclimate changeextreme droughtgrasslandshydrological niche segregationoxygen stable isotopesrainout shelterwater-uptake depth

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Plant Biology
  • Climate Change Science

Background:

  • Belowground niche partitioning is crucial for species coexistence and biodiversity.
  • Climate change, particularly altered soil hydrology, intensifies the importance of niche partitioning.
  • Experimental data on how niche partitioning changes under climate change are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of extreme drought on belowground niche partitioning in grasslands.
  • To determine if plants maintain distinct water uptake depths under drought conditions.
  • To assess the role of niche partitioning in stabilizing species coexistence during drought.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized oxygen stable isotope measurements to infer plant water-uptake depths.
  • Implemented extreme drought manipulation experiments in grassland ecosystems.
  • Compared water-uptake strategies of co-occurring species under ambient and drought conditions.

Main Results:

  • Belowground niche partitioning was observed, with species utilizing different water uptake depths.
  • Drought conditions led to a shift towards shallower water uptake, increasing niche overlap among species.
  • Contrasting adaptive strategies in water uptake depth distribution helped maintain niche partitioning under drought.

Conclusions:

  • Belowground niche partitioning can persist even under extreme drought, albeit with increased overlap.
  • The ability of species to adjust water uptake depths is key to maintaining coexistence.
  • Niche partitioning may mitigate the negative effects of extreme drought on grassland diversity in future climates.